Optimise your space with these small bathroom ideas

If you have a small bathroom don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of small bathroom ideas for you. Don’t despair if you have a small bathroom, as we have a whole host of ideas for decorating your seemingly tiny space. No matter how compact your room, we will have a chic design to fit your needs.

A small bathroom can be stylish, practical and with the right know-how, space-efficient. Make a small bathroom look infinitely bigger with neutral colours that run along the floor, up the walls and even continue onto the bath and loo. This will create a feeling of never ending space, rather than breaking up the bathroom into separate areas, making the room feel boxed in.

Or, add depth to a narrow bathroom with a feature wall. One block colour or exposed bricks work well. Don’t be afraid to go for dark colours as well. They will add an elegant and opulent touch to a small bathroom. Bathroom storage is also essential for keeping clutter at bay.

Think about adding in a skylight to open up your bathroom and create a light and airy space. White furnishings will help to bounce light around the room, meaning you can inject personality with some interesting accessories. Lighting can transform the space. Include task lighting next to mirrors and dimmable options in alcoves or behind a bath to create drama and mood. Make sure all light fittings have the correct IP rating for safe use in wet areas.

If vintage style is more your thing, there is no need to keep a small bathroom plain and minimalist. Clever storage, hung on the walls and pale pastel hues will help to bring your bathroom to life, but still keep a feeling of space and sophistication.

Make an impact with a hotel-style bathroom. Choose a chic black and white bathroom peppered with soft grey for a fresh and modern take on monochrome. Or, a wet room could really open up a small bathroom and create a feeling of luxury and create a spa-like Zen in your home.

Wallpaper a cloak room

Wallpaper can instantly transform the look of any room and the bathroom is no exception. A downstairs cloakroom is a prime space to use wallpaper, as bathrooms with a shower or bath will require specialist paper to prevent steam damaging it. Opt for a unique, bold or interesting print to maximise the impact in a small space like this. Fit a sheet of Perspex as a splashback behind the basin to prevent water damaging the wallpaper.

Use the same tiles on the floor and walls

A clever trick to making a small bathroom look bigger is to use the same tiles on the walls and the floor. Not only does the natural stone in this family bathroom add a spa-style touch, but the continuous run of tiles creates a spacious feel, along with the wall-hung fixtures that save on space. The stone style gives the small bathroom a really light and airy feel, and makes the space look a lot bigger than it actually is. If you’re tiling a bathroom and natural stone feels too neutral, you can easily pep it up with strong colour pops with your towels, storage and accessories – an on-budget way to add personality to your bathroom.

Accessorise away!

If you don’t have the budget to give your entire bathroom a makeover, or you live in rented accommodation, then accessories are the answer! Choose a theme – coastal, floral or monochrome are all bang on trend and are easy to implement, whatever the budget. Apply the style of your chosen trend to lighting, mirrors, smaller accessories and soft furnishings and instantly transform the space.

Choose simple furniture

Neat furniture in soft, natural woods take the fuss out of a small room and give it some breathing space. Choose handleless furniture and clean-lined accessories, and incorporate as much storage as possible to keep things clutter-free. Floating fittings visually max the space, as more of the floor can be seen, and make cleaning a breeze.

Choose statement wallpaper

One of the best ways to disguise a small bathroom is to create interest and a statement wallpaper is ideal for this. Just make sure you buy one that’s made specifically for bathrooms, which will cope with the damp, warm conditions.WallpaperUnion by Timorous BeastiesPaintStudio Green Estate Eggshell by Farrow & Ball at Homebase

Image credit: James Merrell

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Work in a wet room

A wet room can make the most of a small space and add value to your property. If you’re converting an attic, consider a wet room instead of a bathroom. It’s a great way to make the most out of a small space and when it’s beautifully finished like this designer-style one, it’s stunning. Ventilation is key as a build-up of moisture could lead to condensation and damp problems, so install a good extractor fan. Underfloor heating doesn’t take up any space but will add warmth and help to dry surfaces quickly.

Go for mobile and multifunctional furniture

A limited footprint shouldn’t impact on your creative flair. If your bathroom is verging on the small side, consider using freestanding furniture that you can move around at a moments notice.
WallpaperWallpaper Direct

Characterise with colour

This compact modern bathroom uses a number of techniques to create a real wow factor, despite the small square-footage. Add a hearty dose of colour to add vibrancy and personality to a white bathroom otherwise at risk of feeling clinical and characterless. A bright yellow ceiling and shower screen give this small bathroom a real focal point, while downlighters and white tiles keep the space feeling light and bright.

Make it appear larger with mirrors

Mirrors can completely transform the look and feel of a room as they reflect light and create an impression of space, making the room appear bigger (as the light from outside will bounce around the room). Wallpaper can instantly transform the look of any room and the bathroom is no exception. A downstairs cloakroom is a prime space to use wallpaper, as bathrooms with a shower or bath will require specialist paper to prevent steam damaging it.

Work in wall-hung units

Floating fittings visually max the space, as more of the floor can be seen, and make cleaning a breeze. You can always use the space underneath to store toiletries in pretty wicker baskets. A palette of off-whites and tonal greys will make your bathroom space feel large and airy, while wall integrated taps keep the look minimal and well-finished. Similar mirrorDecorumSimilar ceramic sink Bathstore.com

Image credit: David Giles

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Have recessed shelving built in

Recessed shelves are a great space saver, both practically and visually, keeping toiletries neat and off the surfaces. Alternatively, building the shelves into false walls that hide pipework is a clever use of a necessary feature. Also use recessed lighting light fittings – either spot or linear.

Turn a problem into a feature

Use every inch of an attic space by building a bath into the eaves. If you have an awkwardly shaped ceiling – like this bathroom in the eaves – turn it into a decorative feature. Paint the ceiling white to contrast with the statement wallpaper behind. It’s a great way to add character in a confined space.

Furnish to scale

Large items of furniture can dwarf a small room so always buy pieces that suit the scale of your space. In a small bathroom snug area, stick to the basics of a vanity unit and storage rack that you can either hang on the wall or rest on the edge of a bath. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t pack on the personality. Paint a vanity unit in your favourite colour and opt for patterned tiles on the floor. Similar wall tilesTile MountainFloor TilesHarvey Maria

Image credit: Lizzie Orme

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Make your bath the star

Go for a freestanding bath – it can work really well as a focal point in a small space. Try a high-ended slipper bath; you can even buy smaller versions that will fit into tighter spaces. Add a pretty stencil on the wall above to draw the eye up and create the illusion of space.

Make it mirrored

It might be the oldest trick in the interior designer’s handbook, but adding a mirror really does open up the space in a small room. If your wall space is at a premium, look to mirrored fixtures and fittings instead.

Choose furniture and accessories wisely

Bring a nostalgic touch to the bathroom by upcycling a narrow console table to incorporate a small basin. Space-saving wall mounted taps provide a neat solution. The more of the floor you can see, the more spacious your bathroom will
feel, so go for a freestanding basin unit. Plus, you can pop a few
baskets underneath if you’re short on storage space.

Think smart with a narrow space

In a narrow room, the best way of using the space can be to install a walk-in shower that fills the full width of the bathroom. But what if you have a window? The clever design shown here includes a frosted back panel that protects the window from splashes and provides privacy, but still lets in plenty of natural light. A ceiling-mounted shower and frameless shower door complete the sleek look.

Think in twos

Where space is tight, opt for an over-shower bath that delivers the best of both worlds. Here, an inset shelf makes use of available space at the base of the bath tub, while an interesting mix of materials and unusual choice of fittings give the room character.

Balance a palette

Be brave when using colour in a small bathroom – it’s a great opportunity to experiment with shades you may shy away from in larger rooms of the home. Using different colours for tiles and paint will add vibrancy to a space. Add towels and accessories in complementary shades to help unify a colour scheme across different materials.

Keep it simple

If you’re in a quandary over how to decorate your small bathroom, just keep it simple with soft, natural shades. Choose furniture and accessories with clean lines and keep the space as clutter-free as possible to create a feeling of space.

Clever tricks with tiles

When decorating a small bathroom, such as an en suite in a loft conversion, introduce a horizontal line around the width of the space, either with tiles or paint. This trick will visually widen the space, creating the illusion of a bigger room.

Decorate with a fresh white scheme

Make a compact bathroom feel more spacious by sticking to a simple all-white scheme. Team a white suite with glossy wall tiles and plenty of plush textured towels to ensure the space feels welcoming rather than cold.

Create a theme

A well chosen decorating theme can turn a cramped bathroom into a charming space brimming with character. On-trend stripes will happily work their magic. Put up a soft striped linen blind, add stripy towels then vamp up the coastal look with a sea-themed picture.

Fit a sunken bath

If you’re renovating your bathroom or en suite, consider installing a sunken bath. Provided you have the space for it below your floorboards, a sunken bath will streamline your bathroom, giving it a luxurious, hotel-style feel.

Create a feature out of awkward shapes

If you have an awkwardly shaped ceiling – like this bathroom in the eaves – turn it into a striking feature. Paint the ceiling white to contrast with neutral wall tiles, creating the illusion of a niche tailor-made for the bath below. Where windows are small, keep colours schemes pale to make up for the lack of natural light and help make the space feel larger. A step-up bath and intricate tiling gives the space a spa-like feel.

Use oversized tiles

One of the best ways to make a small bathroom appear larger is to use oversized floor and wall tiles – fewer grout lines create a less fussy look, giving the illusion of greater space. And if you can’t squeeze in a separate shower, fit a spacious shower bath instead.

Consider a shelf

Think you can’t have a roll-top bath in a small space? Think again! Even this tiny room with a a sloped ceiling can house a freestanding bath. The tongue-and-groove shelf visually frames the bath and acts as a mantelpiece to a host of trinkets, toiletries and accessories, adding much-needed interest in a small space.

Use those corners

Smaller bathrooms can be a challenge when it comes to squeezing in all the features you need and want. Consider a corner bathtub if you’re short on square footage – you’ll gain an interesting feature as well as a practical bath. And if you can’t go wide, go deep, with steps leading up to the bath if necessary. Use the corner as a shelf to store bathroom necessities.

Make space beneath the eaves

Got an awkward loft space? Install compact fittings in the loft. Don’t worry about trying to fit a bath, go for a luxurious glass shower enclosure instead. It’s common with loft conversions and attics to box in parts of the room that have a reduced ceiling height for storage. But instead, why not look at ways to work around the reduced heights? A toilet or bath is a smart idea.

Invest in made-to-measure fittings and fixtures

A well-thought-out design can fit all the essentials into as little as two square metres for a bathroom and even less for a shower room. The key is not to squeeze too much in. If you only have a small space, it’s much better to make a focal point of a walk-in shower or a beautiful bath, rather than ending up with a cramped bathroom.

Stick to a monochromatic palette

Keep to a palette of monochromes and add colour, texture and pattern with out-there accessories. White will open up a bathroom like no other colour, making it feel as spacious as possible. White tiles and black grouting can be a winning combination in a small bathroom.

Add a hint of colour to a white suite

While a white bathroom suite is the best choice for opening up a small space, it can sometimes feel a little stark if the whole room is white. This is why a hint of colour on the walls is the perfect compromise: light enough to create an airy feel, but with bags more character. The storage alcoves were built from tongue-and-groove panelling, then painted in
white to contrast with the raspberry walls and striking cobalt-blue
tiles.

Smarten up in a narrow space

Got a small narrow space? Go for a shower over the bath to save space. This one, with its contrasting white shower tray, occupies an alcove, creating a streamlined solution in this compact space. Choose dark tiles to add interest, but keep the rest of the scheme white or neutral to soften the look.